Once Upon a Lost Love
by Hoprabbit
Summary: In which a certain blue hero finds a certain pigtailed heroine has been gone from him far too long for his liking. Kurtty/Shadowcrawler, probably hints at other couples. Takes place in the future about 8 years. T for language and one scene so far written.
1. More like the 'Elf God'

First X-men fic ever! It's going to be multi-chapter.  
><span>Were I to own X-men, Kurt and Kitty wouldn't still be in the flirty best-friend stage. Just saying.<span>

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><p><em>You're so hypnotizing<br>Could you be the devil?_  
><em> Could you be an angel?<em>  
><em> Your touch magnetizing<em>  
><em> Feels like I am floating<em>  
><em> Leaves my body glowing<em>

**E.T., Katy Perry**

**Chapter 1 - More like the 'Elf God'**

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><p>It had been hard for me.<br>A hard-knock life, as they say. I grew up in a circus under the false pretense that the fur was a costume, diving and leaping from incredible heights and using my teleportation power as cheap special effects. I specifically remember one little girl telling me my contacts were amazing. It had nearly brought me to tears.  
>I'd hardened my heart to tears. I'd learned that lesson years ago, when Kitty Pryde had been married.<br>It had been a beautiful service, from what I'd heard. I'd been in Germany the whole time; After stopping the impending apocalypse for the time being, we'd sort of split up. Scott and Jean were running the Institute with Logan as a kind of scary vice principal, Storm as a guidance counselor of sorts. Forge was still the techie, but there was a rumor he had his eyes on a girl. Hank kept on doing what he loved best; researching ways for us to not stick out like sore thumbs and make life a bit easier. Bobby was nearby but not part of the school. Rogue was a drifter like myself, helping strayed mutants. Most of us were still single, but I'd heard Jean and Scott had some weird on-off engagement going on and Kitty had found herself a nice human and married him. I bit my lip, reminiscing the shadows of my past. It had been so long since I'd spoken to Kitty. Really, to any of the X-men. I'd heard the news from Rogue over a year ago. I realized I was probably getting old, being almost 29, but didn't really care. Kitty was married... I'd given up on Wanda years and years ago. She was just a flat-out bitch anymore.  
>Really, I wouldn't have wanted her anyway. I wanted Kitty.<br>Now I was back in New York, not more than two miles from the Institute. I was standing in a dark alley near my old High school.

A small stray cat purred and weaved in between my feet. I picked it up, stroking its head. It seemed a bit surprised by my face and fur, and sniffed me, batted my cheek, before deciding I was safe and purring again. The animal was almost awkward in my strange three-fingered hands, but it didn't mind. That was something I'd always liked about Kitty. After she got over her initial shock at my appearance, she'd been an unconditional friend. I pulled some change from my pocket, setting the cat down, and bought from a nearby hotdog vendor. Not hungry myself, I pulled small pieces off of the hotdog and gave them to the kitten, who gobbled it up eagerly.

"Little Katzchen. Vill jou be accompanying me? Shall I name jou?" It crawled up my trench coat eagerly, and I plucked it from my pocket, chuckling. A little female kitten; how ironic.  
>"I suppose it's settled zen, ya?" I murmured to the kitten. I began to make my way to the Institute, deciding maybe it was finally time to visit my old friends. In leiu of just making an entrance and maybe melding with some object that hadn't been there before, I opted to walk. I placed the cat precariously on my shoulder, where it relaxed into my neck, moving to keep balance with my stride. I shuffled through names in my memory, deciding it really ought to be of German origin if I intended to leave the kitten with Logan like I'd originally planned when I picked it up. I could just see the look on his face when he walked into his room and saw a cat tearing up the drapes.<p>

"I'll name jou Alary. Mein Katzchen, Alary." I grinned, realizing if anyone had actually studied up on German like they'd said they would, I was going to get a nice solid smack in the arm. 'Elf Ruler' probably wouldn't go over well if I did hand the kitten off.  
>Soon, the second incarnation of the Institute for Gifted Youngsters loomed overhead and I stood in its shadows. Sort of like I'd always done, but with less snark, and more kitty. Sucking up my pride and the wave of self-pity I'd just induced with hat thought, I shoved the door open.<br>A few young mutants were running through the hallway, and as I passed the kitchen, I saw Bobby and Rogue had come over. Mainly because there was a heavy southern accent floating through the school and a half-eaten, iced-over bowl of cereal on the counter. I chuckled to myself and continued into the den, where Alary jumped from my shoulder and raced to a nearby armchair, facing away from me. It leapt into the chair. A familiar, faint female voice floated from the brown recliner.  
>"Well hello there, little kitty. What's your name?" A light meow came from the chair and I could feel my heart tense fiercely. "My name is Katherine." all the happiness was gone from her voice. It was like a limp, hollow shell of my Kat<p>

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><p>A few weeks after Kitty had moved in, she and I had been sitting together outside. She'd started to look away, and I had tapped her shoulder with my tail; at that point, she'd gotten more comfortable with what I had called 'Ze Fuzzy Dude.'<br>"Pardon me, Keety, I vas looking at zat."  
>"Looking at what? Am I in your way, Kurt?" She swayed back and forth, then trying to see what I was looking at. I grinned and held up my hand in a gesture for her to stop.<br>"Oh, no, just sit still. Perfect view of jour face right zere." She'd rolled her eyes, and we'd begun a playful, meaningless flirting that had developed into a yearning for more on my side and had died off after the explosion. I missed it so much.

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><p>I placed a hand on the back of the chair, reaching down to pet my kitten with he other, careful not to miss and pet Kitty instead.<br>"Her name is Alary." I glanced down at Kitty, petting the kitten with her small, bare hands. The only jewelry she wore was a small bracelet I remembered her having since way back when we'd both first come to the Institute. Kitty looked up to me with a confused face.  
>"I see jou still have zat bracelet."<br>"I hardly ever take it off. I still remember the day you gave it to me. First present I'd ever gotten that I actually felt like it meant something." Her tone dropped into something bitter or resentful at the end, and I racked my brain. It had to have been that time I'd found the little bead bracelet in a junk shop and decided Kitty needed it. For me, it had been a failed step toward telling her my feelings. Obviously, it had actually meant something to her. Surprising, but sad. I wondered why she didn't say hello, but then again, neither had I.  
>"Why did you leave, Kurt?" Her voice was full of hurt once more.<br>"I didn't feel needed." I left it at that, deciding it was the vaguest explanation I could give without pouring my guts out. I was sure I _mentally_ had many times to Kitty, or with my eyes or mouth. However, I was determined not to this time...at least not verbally. Kitty had looked away, not speaking any more. I took her hand, scooping up Alary in my other and handing her off to Rogue. She had just entered the room and was scowling at me. Kitty didn't protest at all and kept my pace.

When we were outside, I leaned back on the stone wall surrounding the balcony over the huge cliffs behind the Institute. Kitty was wringing her hands, hands I again realized were bare save for my bracelet. Then it dawned on me.  
>"Katzchen, I zhought jou vere married? Vhere is jour ring?" I asked, pointing with my huge blocky fingers. Curse the damned things.<br>"Oh, Kurt. I had a beautiful ceremony all planned out. Josh was so handsome... I almost didn't want to object. But I had to." She swept hair from her face. Kitty seemed to be a shadow of her former self. I briefly remembered Rogue correcting herself, saying that Kitty would be getting married soon. Not that she already was, like I thought.  
>"Keety, did jou ever learn German like jou said jou intended to?"<br>"I know enough. Very clever of you to name the cat after yourself." Kitty snarked. It was the most cheerful emotion I'd gotten from her all night; something seemed broken in my Katzchen. Sarcasm in my own voice was generally a shield. Snarkiness had always been my favorite wall to hide behind as a teenager, and while the habit had gone away more as I'd gotten older, I could still recognize when someone else used it. I was silent for a moment and Kitty stared into the distance. She was so disconnected it hurt me; whatever was broken in her had really taken it's toll. It was slowly taking all the pieces of the Kitty I loved and placing them somewhere dark.  
>That was it, wasn't it? I really did love her. Maybe they're right; Distance makes the heart grow fonder.<br>"I am not an 'Elf Ruler', Keety. More like zee 'Elf God'."

Kitty's hair blew in the wind. I longed to be that wind, threading through her hair with gentle fingers. Realizing it had been silent for minutes now, I took a stand next to her and pointed out to sea at a small fish jumping from the waves.  
>"Do jou zhink bugs have distinct flavors?"<br>"What?" Kitty's eyebrows drew together, confused but too apathetic to really respond.  
>"Vell, human foods have different flavors. Fruit und vegetables und zee like. I vonder if bugs taste different for fish."<br>"Why don't you go find out, blue-boy?" Not the reaction I'd hoped for. Determined to get her to smile, I teleported to snatch a few bugs, and then came back to her on the balcony. Kitty looked on the verge of a grin. I extended a firefly, taking another between my fingers and holding the rest in my palm.  
>"I vill if jou vill. Double-dog dare jou." I grinned, waving the bug. Kitty took it, placing it in her palm. I counted down.<br>"3...2...1!" I threw it in my mouth and took one bite before becoming disgusted. The bug tasted horrible and I spat it back out. Kitty was doubled over in a laughing fit and flicked her bug at me. I grinned, and took her hand.  
>"Cheater! See, Katzchen. Laughing is not zat hard." Her eyes sparkled a bit, but the smile soon fell from her face again.<br>"Kurt, after you left, everything became hard all over again." and she pulled her hand free, walking away.

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><p>Leave ya hanging?<br>**NOTES: **  
>While it's the best pronunciation of 'you' I can give to a German-American accent, maybe 'jou' sounds a bit too much like Gambit. I dunno.<br>Thanks to babynames for giving me insight into German names. Alary was the first name I ran over, and I just said..."Perfect!" If you didn't catch it, Alary means 'Elf Ruler'. ;D  
>One more note. Seeing as I cannot for the life of me take 'Fuzzy'(Really? Fuzzy? XD) or 'Bamfed'(Bad-A**-Mother-F***er'd into the house? No. XD) seriously, I refuse to use them. Katzchen, on the other hand, is a beautiful (and fitting!) nickname. XD<p> 


	2. That Errol Flynn Charm

D'awww. (The word count is so high because I got carried away with my closing notes...^^; )  
><span>Were I to own X-men, Kurt and Kitty wouldn't still be in the flirty best-friend stage. Just saying. Also, no claim to Robin Hood.<span>

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><p><em>Once we watched a lazy world go by<br>Now the days seem to fly  
>Life is brief, but when it's gone<br>Love goes on and on  
><em>

**Love, Robin Hood  
><strong>

**Chapter 1 - That Errol Flynn Charm**

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><p>A little of me died when Kitty left. I'd just come back and all she'd done was tell me I made her life harder... I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or apologetic. Rogue stormed out onto the balcony, jabbing a finger into my chest.<br>"Kurt, you cannot just play with her 'lil heart like this!" She moved her hands dramatically as she spoke, her accent strong and almost hard to understand after having to cross the language barrier once again.  
>"Playing vith her heart? Rogue, I do not understand."<br>"Ya have ta! All these years, and you 'don't understahnd'? You're realleh thick, blue-boy, if ya don't know she's liked ya this whole time!"  
>"...Vell, mein fur is razer thick."<br>"Kurt, ya little...Ohhh, when I get mah hands on ya!" She reached for my shoulder, swinging a fist. I ducked it, frowning. I was confused.  
>"Vhat do jou mean, Rogue? Keety does not like me." <em>'I would know,' <em>I thought bitterly, _'wouldn't I?'_ Rouge made a pained, angry face and thrust her hands down.  
>"Ya realleh don't know, do ya?" I shook my head. "Kitty's liked you since back in high school, Kurt. How ya didn't realize... And ya'll are <em>still<em> doin' this sarcasm shield? 'My fur is thick'... _Ugh."  
><em>We stood like that for a minute. Rogue kept looking at me and shaking her head, still wondering how I was picking up these hints Kitty was supposed to have dropped. Like when she had drooled over Lance most of freshman year. And the time she ran away from the mistletoe so much that I had wound up kissing Bobby's cheek rather than hers.

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><p>I'd hung a small sprig of mistletoe above her, smiling. Kitty had just waved it away.<br>"Kurt! In your dreams!"  
>"All in zee holiday spirit!" I'd said. Honestly, it might've helped if I'd known she was Jewish and wasn't exactly a Christmas celebrator anyway, but it was the thought that counted.<br>"Kurt, knock it off!" And she'd run away, leaving me to nearly fall on my face and then to chase her.  
>"Come on, Keety. Just vone little kiss? Pleeeeease?" I'd jumped around the room after her multiple times, teleporting in front of her and probably knocking a few cups and bowls over in the process. Finally, I'd managed to catch her on the couch, almost feeling stalker like but thinking it was pretty much worth it. She'd jumped off the seat, though, just in time for me to plant one on Bobby's jaw. We'd both nearly puked.<br>Later I'd caught up to her again, where she'd told me that it was awesome that we were such great friends that we could do that and nothing would be affected. I'd wanted to scream. Afterwards, I'd pity-partied a bit, left for Germany to see my parents(Not Mystique and Azazel, of course) and resolved to start over. Which had resulted in Amanda Sefton... One of my bigger mistakes.  
>Really, all I'd wanted was a little kiss on the cheek. However, if I could have caught her, I think maybe it could've turned into more.<p>

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><p>"Rogue, I'm sorry, but I never saw any hints from Keety zat she liked me. I vas plenty obvious... I zhought. Jou remember zee mistletoe, ya? Zat vas about zee same time Jean began to hassle jou about Scott." A nasty look darkened Rogue's face<br>"We're _not_ bringing that into this."  
>"Still sore about Jean?" Her hand smashed the wall next to my head, and without trying to be snarky and provoke her further, I slowly lowered her wrist.<br>"It's okay, mein schwester. I apologize, I vill not bring eet back up. Vhat vere jou saying about Keety?" No doubt pressing a blood vessel back against her skull, Rogue massaged her temple lightly and tried to wipe off her frown unsuccessfully.  
>"...Ya may have been obvious ta yaself and everehone else, but teenage girls are a breed all their own, Kurt. When advances are made we just kinda shove it into the friend zone or blow it outta proportion. She musta figured ya were jus' playin'." I blinked. Kitty thought it was just jokes? <em>'Well, I was and still might be the goof-off. I guess it's possible. We <em>were_ best friends...'_ Placing a hand on my forehead, I sighed. Being an idiot had gotten me in all kinds of trouble... Like the time I'd nearly trapped myself and Forge in Middleverse forever. Or when Tabitha and I had gone to the fair.

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><p>"Come on, Kurt. We'll ride one ride. That's it. Poof there and back before anyone even knows."<br>"No. No vay is eet going to happen; I von't do it." She'd laid a hand on my chest.  
>"Please, Kurt? Pretty please for me?"<br>"Nope. Not interested in vhat jou're selling, Tabitha." I'd picked up her hand and dropped it at her side. I'd been a little nutty for attention then, but that was when I'd really realized she was just using charm to get things.  
>"Why not, Kurt? All that food..."<br>"Not really zat hungry, Tabitha."  
>"Fun rides?"<br>"Have jou ever tried teleporting? Most rides aren't even zat fun."  
>"You've never ridden one with <em>me<em>, though."  
>"Don't ca~re" I'd singsonged, plugging an ear and ready to plug the next with her next ploy.<br>"What about Kitty?" My breath had caught just a bit, and I'd kept my fingers from my ears.  
>"I'm sure she'll be there with La~ance. Maybe you could break them up?" Maybe I could've, with the knowledge I had now. But then I hadn't, and that was when it should've been important. I'd taken less than a split second to decide.<br>"Hang on. First 'porters may lose their stomachs!"

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><p>That had ended in waxing and cleaning the X-Jet for a month and laundry duty every day. I shuddered just thinking about it.<br>"She's liked ya fer so long, Kurt. She picked a man just like ya to marry, except he was missin' that Errol Flynn charm you were always going on about. Never made a good joke. Ya could be twins otherwise...Sorta." I rubbed my neck. Twins, pfff. Maybe with the hologram projector, but I was just so utterly different. Beast was the only one like me, but he had at least been accepted as Bigfoot, a creature of science, once. I'd been hunted and burned with pitchforks and torches, chased into alleys until the fur on my feet was gone and they were rubbed raw. I wiped my mind and refocused on Rogue.  
>"I do enjoy my charm." For emphasis, I winked, finger-gunned and clicked my tongue, causing Rouge to place a hand on her hip and actually eke out a smile.<br>"There's tha Kurt I know. She was so hurt that ya didn't come ta her weddin', Kurt. It mighta caused her ta rethink it in tha first place. She didn't really love Josh. She loved the idea of having someone, someone like you, one more time. Thank god somethin' snapped in her head that mornin' or I might not be gettin' my fift- Well, forget that." I smiled. Rogue was betting money on us being together?  
>"Point is, Kurty-boy, Ya need ta step on it. Her little Kitty heart is so busted... It's gonna need a lot 'a yer swashbucklin ta get her back. Go track her down. She needs ya." Rogue's speech had brought a huge grin to my jaw. Newly inspired, I nodded and began to ask where Kitty had gone. A few of the X-men I'd known from my teenage years chuckled at me before directing me down various hallways, and I'd eventually wound up in the same place that had been Kitty's room all those years ago and then again when we'd come back.<p>

Laying on her bed, rolled over and staring at a book, was my Katzchen. She had traded up from her old pink pajamas into newer, nicer, purple ones. I liked her in everything, but these clung to her back in just the right way. I cleared my throat.  
>"Keety?" She rolled over, still expressing absolutely nothing to very little.<br>"Yeah, Kurt? You kinda caught me in the middle of the good part."  
>"Sorry, I can come back later..." I turned, feeling like maybe it was the wrong move. Kitty seemed to agree, beckoning me back. I came to sit on her bed and she propped herself up.<br>"You know, I always used to read these late at night after everyone went to sleep. Always made me feel a little dangerous and a little weird reading romance, but excited nonetheless. A habit I've never been able to drop."  
>"I know zee feeling. I still have to get a gut-buster burger vonce in a vhile." I patted my stomach, pretending there was something there. Since I'd lost the holo-projector and the professor had gone into the coma before I could get a new one, I'd had to work off any extra calories running form the locals in every town I tried to help. Forge had tried so hard, but couldn't quite get the mind magic going on it.<p>

"You and those burgers, Kurt." She smiled a little, her eyes glistening with, thankfully, something other than tears.  
>"So you read romance, eh? Any of zee characters tall, dark blue, and handsome?" I'd earned another smile and brushed back my hair from my forehead, following her suit. I looked over her shoulder and read a passage out loud.<p>

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><p>"<em>Quick as a wink Robin sprang to his feet, and, at one bound, crossed the stream and the roadside, and plunged headlong into the thicket, without looking around, for he knew right well that that which had hissed so venomously beside his ear was a gray goose shaft, and that to tarry so much as a moment meant death. Even as he leaped into the thicket six more arrows rattled among the branches after him, one of which pierced his doublet, and would have struck deeply into his side but for the tough coat of steel that he wore."<em>

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><p>"Romance... zee only romance in <em>Zee Merry Adventures of Robin Hood<em> is a vedding. Of vhich zee main characters aren't all too concerned." I eyed Kitty, catching her grin. I shook my head, smiling.  
>"But you vere right. It vas zee good part. Zee chase is mein favorite part. I didn't figure jou for an adventure novel-reader, Kitty."<br>"You were so into Errol Flynn I finally watched a few of his movies. I liked Robin Hood and decided to read this... I think it would have been better with Maid Marian in it, but to each their own." I pulled my feet up onto her bed, kicking off my shoes. They pinched my toes like hell.

"I agree. Maid Marian made it better because zere vas somezhing for Robin to fight for. Aside from his multitude of men in tights."  
>"Ohh, Kurt, did not need the mental image!" Kitty held her head, shaking it.<br>"What?"  
>"Friar Tuck in tights!" I wrinkled my nose and we both started to laugh. It seemed like old times again. Kitty rolled over onto an elbow and looked at me, losing the smile she'd held. I tried for words, mainly just opening my mouth but losing the thought. Eventually I felt Kitty's head on my shoulder, slowly drifting off like she had many times before to movie night sounds. Even then I'd been totally oblivious, hadn't I. Rogue said there were signs, right? Her falling asleep on my shoulder had to be one.<p>

"Keety... I... I, um..." By the time I'd finally managed to get out the words I'd floundered for, it had gotten extremely quiet.  
>"I've liked you for a long, long time, Keety. I think... I know that I actually love you." It was still silent, and I looked to the crook of my neck to see a softly snoring Katherine Pryde, slightly tugging on my fur. How I hadn't noticed before I had no idea. Now that the moment was gone, I was confused.<p>

I just laid there for a few hours until deciding it might be time to go and propping Kitty up on a pillow and under a blanket. With how she was acting, I wondered if maybe she was sick. Heart- or otherwise. I spent most of the rest of the day fighting off attacks from the residents about Kitty and myself, not really taking them to mind or heart and mostly just contemplating a simple thing.

"Vill she ever decide I'm vorth it...again?"

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><p><strong>NOTES:<strong>  
>Was Maid Marian in the book? I don't remember her in it much to at all... but hey, Howard Pyle can't sue me now. XD<br>I wanted to make Rogue's accent more obvious in the print, but I'm not sure anyone would've understood it. See, she woulda tawked lahk thess, and Ah don't know if youn's coulda understood. So you can thank me for that. Sorry it sounded so hickish; I couldn't get Mississippi without some redneck flair. Kurt's could be dramatic too, but his Evo VA didn't sell it and that's the one I'm watching.  
>Just so you know, the mistletoe thing happened(up to the point of Bobby's interference...) Season 2, Episode 7, 'On Angel's Wings' of X-Men: Evolution. It was probably one of my number one fangirling moments this far. Along with the time Rouge knocked Kurt out and Kitty was begging him not to die. The fair was a real episode from Evolution as well, though I don't remember which. I was too tired and lazy to even look up the real lines. XD After Kurt said 'no way' was improvised for the sake of Kurtty. There had to be some selling point to make him go. I figured it was the Shadowcat herself. =)<br>Notes on my Kitty/Kurt preference, as it just popped into my head: I'm really kind of okay with lots of the guys Kitty's with(Except Lance. Jesus, never Lance.) but Kurt really can't connect in my head to anyone else, am I right? It's Shadowcrawler or nothing with the fuzzy dude. XD  
><strong>GERMAN TRANSLATIONS<strong>: _schwester_: sister, _mein:_my

...Something else? I know I'm all over with the references, but I find all versions of Kurt so adorable. So there are lots of Evolution and comics references, such as his Errol Flynn addiction. ;D

ALSO, best quote I have ever heard, pretty much sums up everything I love and hate about X-men in two sentences:  
><strong>Kurt<strong>: (_mocking Scott and Jean_) "Jean darling, please accept this croissant as a symbol of my love!" **Kitty**: "Oh Scott! You have... such a way with pastry!" - **Kurt and Kitty** (_X-men Evolution - Cruise Control_)  
>That was just for you. ;D (Love the playful, fun, flirty Kurtty. Hate Jean and Scott...I'll probably divulge into that sometime on my profile, if you're ever interested.)<p>

TOO MANY NOTES! ARGGHHH. Review please. =3


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